No Means No, Always | Lettering Design

The word
The word
The word

No, Still No | Illustrative Lettering Design

pROJECT BACKGROUND

In 2019, I spent a few days in Porto. On my first day, I saw a young woman on the street with a tattoo on her right thigh that read: NO; and on her left thigh: STILL NO. I was struck by it — and by the time I tried to take a photo, she was already gone. I’ve thought about her often since, and about how I interpreted her message.


I don’t know you girl, but I like you a lot. This is my homage to you and your tattoo, as faithfully as I can remember it.


A soft, loud, girly, manly, friendly, harsh, polite, rude, smiley, bossy, apologetic, angry, fearful, determined NO means NO — always.



Thanks to Wanissa and Ceci for your support and contributions below.

LETTERING DESIGN PROCESS

Vector lettering and Procreate illustration.

Services

Lettering design
Illustration

Industries

Visual Communication
Women's Rights

Credits

Art direction: Maria Montes
Client: Self-initiated project
Legs in black shorts showing matching thigh tattoos reading “No” and “Still No” on a tiled floor.

ARTIST CONTRIBUTION:

Wanissa Somsuphangsri

“Just go out with me once. It’s not like I’m going to rape you.” is what the guy who asked me out said when I turned him down for the fourth time.


I was 23 then, and much less vocal than I am now. Being assertive doesn’t come naturally to me. Looking back, I’ve accepted situations I didn’t want to be in, taken on favours I couldn’t afford, stayed in relationships I should have ended, all because I couldn’t say no or because I was afraid of upsetting other people. This is still ongoing work for me, but as the years go by, I’m feeling less guilty for putting myself first.


Thank you Maria Montes getting me to reflect on the importance of saying no.


When a woman says no, whether it’s quietly or loudly, once is enough for her to be heard. No explanations and no apologies are needed.”

Black-and-white photo of legs with “no” and “still no” written on them, with a cigarette in hand.

ARTIST CONTRIBUTION:

Cecilia del Castillo

“A man once told me that women shouldn’t flirt so openly with a man because it leads to being raped. And if that happened it was basically our fault. The incredible thing is that he told me this as if to “teach me” how to behave, so that this would not happen to me, and to justify jealousy. For a long time I was ashamed to even repeat his words.


It shocks me, and it makes me fucking angry to think that every woman has a story like this to tell.


Absolutely nothing you do as a woman justifies abuse.


Thank you Maria Montes for inviting me to reflect on this, and thanks to Wanissa Somsuphangsri for sharing your experience, it gave me the courage to share mine.”